KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) – Sports fans will be counting down the days until the $114-million Knoxville multiuse stadium opens its doors in a few years. Until then, developers have installed on-site cameras that let you see the construction as it happens.

A groundbreaking ceremony was held on June 13, 2023, to mark the official start of construction on the 7000-seat sports and entertainment complex near the Old City. It’s a project that will see minor league baseball return to Knoxville in 2025 after more than 20 years in addition to other events like soccer matches, festivals, and concerts.

Denark Construction, the company serving as the lead construction manager for the project, has installed a solar-powered camera system that the public can access at any time to see construction progress. The camera system can be found on the Knoxville stadium project section of the Denark website as well as on grandslamknox.com.

The cameras offer different angles to view construction, some of which capture images as frequently as every 15 minutes. Users can also look back at archived images dating as far back as July 2022 and even watch a time-lapse to see the site’s transformation.

While the stadium will hold 7,000 seats in traditional seating, Denark said it will accommodate more than 10,000 people for concerts and special events.

This project has been years in the making. Smokies baseball team owner Randy Boyd said at the groundbreaking that he and his wife Jenny have been working to bring baseball back to Knoxville since 2013. The cost of the project has jumped considerably since the initial estimation of $65 million in early 2021.

Developers were forced to scale back some design features to reduce rising costs. Boyd and local authorities signed the $114 million stadium agreement in April, the majority of which will be funded through public bonds issued by the city and county.

Upon their return to Knoxville in 2025, the Tennessee Smokies will officially change their name back to the Knoxville Smokies.